Finishing the I AM Sermons of Jesus in the Gospel of John

September is close - and I will go over the draft of the I AM Sermons in the Gospel of John.

After that is published, I will begin a new book on the parables in Matthew, Mark, and John.

When the parables are finished, I plan to enhance the Bethany Lutheran Hymnal blog and produce a book about hymns and the stories behind them.

The Sausage Factory - Mordor at Mequon - Expensive Universalism. But a Bargain! ELCA Seminaries Cost Much More for Teaching "Everyone Saved!

 The WELS seminary offers hazing at no extra cost. WELS training includes knocking a newbie unconscious and also whipping someone with a wire coat-hanger. One victim is a president of one entity, so he probably got their approval by putting up with the criminal, physical assault.

I saw the GA Pope in drag, so this is not an exaggeration. WELS is very big on cross-dressing pastors.

Brenner, Brug, and Bivens worked very hard to make sure WELS got the worst paraphrase of the Bible - the NIV.

The cost for the Sausage Factory is steep, but the ELCA seminaries of Universalism charge even more, and lack the WELS GA brotherhood formation. Broken leg"? - don't be whimp. Knocked out tooth? - show us, haha. Toxic amounts of alcohol? - fun.

 Mequon tuition and fees - $23,385 total!

The Mordor students tell the innocent about how hard they work in school, then laugh about their deception later. Their library is almost unused and the curriculum is purely repeat-after-me.

The odd couple wrote a book together. A more accurate title would be Born Forgiven.

WELS is actually ahead of ELCA, and ELCA is behind.

Bethany Lutheran Seminary - Bombs Away

 

Jack Kilcrease, Jesuit PhD, WELS born but ELCA college and seminary trained, is the fitting symbol for Bethany's watered-down Pietism.

I looked up Bethany Lutheran Seminary - The Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie - for its student population. The photo showed a total of seven students, four being ordained and three being given a vicarage. The faculty is Schmeling, Schmeling, and somebody. The senior Schmeling is retiring, leaving behind the suggestion of nepotism, his son the only other one on the faculty for a time.

The new president of the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie has a degree in mining engineering. The ALC's David Preus liked to say that the conservatives majored in the minors, but now they major in the miners.

President Hartwig earned an MDiv at Bethany Lutheran Seminary.

Bethany lacks a sense of irony. One of their speakers, Jack Kilcrease, earned his PhD at a Jesuit university and teaches at an ELCA style online school - where Jay Webber got his STM after 20 or more years of academic labor. Since Jay and Jack are both passionate about Objective Justification, Jay probably suggested Jack for the Bethany lectures.

Another knee-slapper: Jay and Jack's favorite web server trains women for Lutheran ordination. 

Big Storm Rushed Through - Headed for St. Louis - We Had a Two-Hour Blackout

 

It looks like a string of storms is heading our way and on up to St. Louis. That was more than a rainstorm. We had a two-hour blackout, apparently from lines knocked down in the winds. Our next-door neighbor's front yard looks like the tree trimmers came by.

I had two flashlights and a blackout emergency light near the desk. Sassy was a bit timid but did not mind the storm that much.

The Upcoming Election - Matt Has Grown in Office

1911-1962......for 51 years we had two Presidents, Pfotenhauer (24 years, Behnken (27)

1962-2010......for 48 years we had five Presidents, Harms (7), Preus (12)
Bohlmann (11), Barry (9) Kieschnick (9)

2010 to 2023.....Harrison (13)  In 2023, Harrison will only be 61 years old as he seeks another 3 year term in office.

[The facts came from the Ovaltine Forum, aka The ALPB Online Lutheran Forum for Elderly Cranks.]

 Why did Matt the Fatt wear a $1,400 tarp in Europe when he robed more modestly in America?

Bishop Matt the Fatt and Bishop-for-Life Heiser shop at C. H. Almy, but are they in fellowship?
What about the big question - Thrivent.

+++

 Sing both songs, Matt, the private acolade for Otten when you ran for office, and the public attack you sang just before he died.

LCMS Presidential elections can be full of drama and suspense.

Here are 3 of them which can be classified as surprises:

In 1969, Jack Preus defeated incumbent Oliver Harms by less than 5 votes.

In 1992, Al Barry defeated incumbent Ralph Bohlmann by 12 votes.

In 2001, with no incumbent on the ballot, Gerald Kieschnick won by 18 votes.

Evening Icha-peak

ELDONA Pastor Eric Stefanski's church is in Harrison, Arkansas, the home of one of the largest KKK encampments in America.

“It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

Missouri and WELS have taught their spineless pastors diligently. They all worship the organization and strive - when kicked out - to start a new organization like the old one, but with less money and far fewer congregations.

America has more synodettes than most can imagine - and why not? These micro-sects have a chance at scoring free flower charts, free liturgical calendars derived from Rome, and free napkins embossed with the Thrivent trademark.

Bishop DeJaynes was unable to make it to this photo-op at the Salem Cathedral in Malone, Texas. Hay bale beards make some of them look like extras from "Living in an Amish Paradise."

The St. Ignatius Seminary is built to handle the influx of students from other mini-synods with micro-populations.

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2022.

The Eleventh Sunday after Trinity, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

The recorded service for today.

The Hymn # 318     Before Thee God, Who Knowest All

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16

Introit

God is in His holy habitation: 

He is God who setteth the solitary in families.

The God of Israel is He that giveth strength: 

and power unto His people.

Psalm. Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered: 

let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19

Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who art always more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve, pour down upon us the abundance of Thy mercy, forgiving us those things whereof our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things which we are not worthy to ask but through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who liveth, etc.

The Epistle and Gradual       

Gradual

My heart trusteth in God, and I am helped: 

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; 

and with my song will I praise Him.

V. Unto Thee will I cry, O Lord, my Rock: 

be not silent to me; hear the voice at my supplications. 

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

V. Lord, Thou hast been our Dwelling Place in all generations. 

Hallelujah!

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed             p. 22

The Sermon Hymn # 494       Awake Thou Spirit

The Righteousness of Faith

The Communion Hymn #388         Just As I Am

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 514             God Moves in a Mysterious Way     

In Our Prayers

• Happy Birthday and God's Blessings - Brett Meyer, last Sunday.
• Happy Joyful Birthday - early September.
• Medical treatment - Randy Anderson, Pastor Jim Shrader and Chris, Kermit and Maria Way.
• Looking into shipping some books overseas.

Norma A. Boeckler

KJV 1 Corinthians 15:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

KJV Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Eleventh Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father, we beseech Thee so to guide and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not forget our sins and be filled with pride, but continue in daily repentance and renewal, seeking our comfort only in the blessed knowledge that Thou wilt be merciful unto us, forgive us our sins, and grant us eternal life; through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Righteousness of Faith

Background

The Age of Rationalism slowly strangled the concept of faith in the Holy Trinity, and that motivated the professors to change the meaning of the Scriptures, from the plainly worded revelation of God to very complicated and obscure theories that denied what God revealed. This is the current state of the denominations and the Church of Rome.

When Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden, they were promised the Savior who would be wounded by Satan and yet would crush the head of Satan.

When Eve gave birth to a boy, she said literally in Hebrew - I have conceived a man, the Lord, Genesis 4:1. The Hebrew script clearly states this but the translators have always been wary. This clearly shows that Eve heard the Promise of salvation through Christ and believed her son fulfilled that Word.

Much later, God promised the impossible with Abraham, which is assumed to be a son and a great nation. As I have written before, no nation or empire has continued forever and had uncountable numbers, like the stars in the sky. This was repeated promised by God and was fulfilled in the line of Abraham and David, leading to the Son of David, Jesus Christ. This the one-sided Testament, with God offering Promises beyond the imagination of any person.

The Rationalists are offended by this Testament and want to replace it with their concept of covenant - two-sided. Therefore, if you want God to do something for you, you have to do something for God. Otherwise, He will not bless you - so their dogma teaches. 

Lutheran rationalists do not like the term Testament, because they place human reason over and above the Word itself. That naturally turns the concept of revelation and faith upside-down. However, I was in the lawyer's office the other day and created a will or testament, made up of one-sided promises. This is the very language Paul used and we use too - the New Testament. 

God gave the greatest Promise ever given to man, when He stated that Abraham would be a father of nations because of his faith in that Promise. Israel is very tiny and hardly an empire. Instead, we have the result of that Promise, millions of believers who trace their line through Jesus back to David and to Abraham's faith.

Abraham believed in the Promise of a Savior, and it was counted as righteousness (forgiveness of sin).

Most people miss the connection between the Smurfs and their boss - Father Abraham.

KJV Luke 18:9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 

Notice that the parable before this has another perspective, and they go together.

KJV Luke 18 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

Our ideas and attitudes are not the same as God's, so humility is the correct response to needs and problems. The parable for today is not about a given class of people in those days, but examples of two extremes. The Pharisees were expected to be perfect in every way, so they had a concept of righteousness based upon their works. Paul's writing and personality reflected that, though he also corrected himself - "not I, but Christ within me."

I encounter this works-righteousness all the time in dealing with those students who are raised that way.

One wrote, "God is not going to give me anything if I do not give to Him." 

Another one said, "We go over the covenant every Sunday. We have to do our part. That is central to every worship service."

This is clearly dealing with trusting in our own righteousness, not the righteousness of God. The Bible teaches:

1. God
2. Righteousness
3. Faith
4. Grace

The righteousness of God means faith in Jesus Christ, our Savior, and faith in our Good Shepherd gives us access to God's grace.

10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

This approach to God is certainly vivid enough to make anyone smile at the fake religion, which is the religion of the world, not God. He says "I" four times and has a long list of what he is not.

When I laughed about the religion of recycling, I was scolded by a younger in-law. I said, "I was making compost before you knew what it was." Her compost was just a trash-heap. My mother said the same thing to me when I discovered composting, as if she never heard the word. I was given detailed descriptions of where it was and how I was so blissfully unaware of it.

The point of this Pharisee's speech is the Pharisee himself. The other people are all evil and he is pure. That comes from a world-wide attitude of our own perfection and the sinfulness of everyone else.

As Luther said, the point of the Pharisee's prayer is that he is truly a good person, but also that he gives himself credit for this righteousness.

America the Pietist Cult 

Our country was mostly settled by Pietists, who had a code they followed in various ways. Obeying that code was called sanctification and distinguished them from the others. 

One pastor told me and a group how pure he was, because every one of his 105 family members belonged to the same Lutheran sect. I was going to add, "And they are all Pharisees like you" but it seemed to be a waste of breath. His numbers proved his status. 

This topic is good for hours of talk and many books to read.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

The tax collector was hated for two reasons. One was the method of tax farming which continued into the modern era - collecting taxes and a bonus for the collectors extracted on top of that. The other reason for hatred was the fact of this money going to the Roman Empire to keep soldiers there and their country "at peace." The tax collectors were symbols of oppression and pagan Roman religion.

The tax collector was not proud of his lofty high-paying position, but humble before God. He asked for mercy from God because he was a sinner. 

Jesus specified that this meant the tax collector was justified by faith - unlike the Pharisee who relied on his works. So this one episode encapsulates the essential teaching of the Bible - Old and New Testaments. 

1. God
2. Righteousness
3. Faith
4. Grace

That is distilled by those four words above. God is all-powerful and all-merciful. His power is chiefly known through His mercy and forgiveness toward all who believe in Him.

We have no righteousness on our own because we are inherently sinful. Instead of praying to ourselves and about our great qualities, we pray to God to help us in all our troubles, fears, and sins. 

There is no true prayer apart from prayer in the Name of Jesus Christ. That requires humility and faith in Him, our Good Shepherd.

I was thinking about people being awed by technological advances, and medical miracles. But many stop at one miracle or another, because the Rationalists have told them an alternative and doubt has crept in.

We have to believe as children instead of doubting as professors. That too requires humility, because the Word judges us - we cannot and should not judge the Word.

As I escaped the rationalism of college and seminary, I found clergy being embarrassed by hearing the Bible taken as it is, without compromise and doubt. That often led to name-calling and the peak of Pietism - total shunning. Because Pietists emphasized their works instead of faith in Christ, they quickly turned "no dancing" of the past into 37 genders (Walmart School System).

The President of a small, Christian college painted me as a liberal while he attended church at First Methodist! - which is the very foundation of America's switch to hedonism and denying the Scriptures.

This parable is short and powerful, a constant reminder of Jesus' own commendation. Many times, Jesus singled out the exceptional one who trusted in Him and undercut the proud and mighty who wanted to get rid of Him.

A humble faith helps us see what marvels God has provided for us, starting with salvation through His Son and all the blessings that come with that. 

Bundle Nutrition Expensively - Or Eat Nutrition Frugally. God's Creation Pharmacy

Nothing intrigues me more than the expense of over-the-counter (OTC) concoctions versus the nutrition in greens, beans, fruit, and nuts. 

I favor supplements but I am wary of most of them. For example, no concoction is going to cure diabetes if the basics are ignored - overweight, pancreas warrantee fading, lack of exercise. There is a "vitamin" promoted and it might help a bit, but so will cutting back ice cream to only two scoops per meal.

Vitamin E pills promise energy, but like many other pills, charge a fortune for an unbalanced promise which could be less than healthy.

Joel Fuhrman pointed out that fish oil is often rancid, which may explain the foul belches and the lack of beneficial results. "I read in a ladies' magazine  - barrupp - that it helps."

One couple said they ate fish once a week even though they disliked it. Companies market tilapia fish as special when it is the crabgrass of fish! Walnuts are ideal in reducing bad cholesterol and they taste great.

Calcium sounds good, but vegetable calcium is far better than questionable pill calcium. Ditto Vitamin C. 

Some things are beneficial in the short run but easily available in the God's vegetable garden - potassium and magnesium. I took potassium after being low on my blood test. Not drinking so much caffein is also a cure, and so is a typical plant-based habit of eating.

Multi-vitamin pills are sold for high prices, and the trace elements may be good - not found in pizza, KFC, or ice cream. I still use multi-vitamins but get the ones from Furhman.

If there is an Internet ad featuring a supposed doctor with a wild expression on his face, the cure promised is doubtless rubbish. I followed one set of "free" messages just to see one person's cure for diabetes. The cure is hyper-expensive pills of dubious merit hyped by wild claims.

God's Creation Pharmacy

I do not know what happened, but several months into eating greens, beans, fruits, and vegetables (with some meat and no ice cream) - my hands stopped causing me extreme pain by 90%. I used to wiggle my fingers and take aspirin. Now I move my fingers in disbelief and take no aspirin. Weight loss increased my energy, dropped my A1C to normal, BP to normal.

This must be the greatest prank of all time - our farm grandparents had great nutrition from grandma's vegetable garden. But now Americans eat meals of bread, fatty-salty meat, real butter and margarine, fatty milk, fatty-salty cheese, ice cream (guilty!). And they leverage all that with sugary salty desserts (guilty!). 

What is harder to digest and almost entirely lacking in food value? Answer - fast food and pizza-cheese-sausage washed down with beer.

Lest people get healthy with raw vegetables like green peppers, celery, and carrots, party hosts provide bowls of fatty-salty salad dressing. Even better - they have fatty-salty salad dressing for greasy fried chicken enhanced with hot sauce and no lack of salt.

I love all those foods, growing up where Chicken Delight was a treat and donuts were omnipresent. My classmate defined the attraction of the first chicken meals home-delivered as "the crisp, the salt, and the grease." 

I could fill up on the wrong foods, with so many enablers encouraging me, but I was writing checks my pancreas could not cash. 

Now, when I buy something new in the fruit or vegetable category, I look up the nutrient values, protein, and unusual trace elements. The cost is hilariously and the varieties are endless. I can skip turnips (yuk) but turnip greens are great. I can avoid root crops and eat really cheap greens. 

How many old movies show poor people handling that plow? They wear rags but have Schwarzenegger muscles without the steroids. Now we have high-tech kids who cannot guide a gas lawnmower.

Most of my food costs come from frozen vegetables ($2 packages) and canned vegetables ($1 cans). 

Take the Spinach Challenge - Filling Up without Calories - Loaded with Nutrition

When the doctor scared me into dropping ice cream as a significant factor in meals, I began to drop various fat-forming foods:

• Bread with butter
• Desserts in general, cookies, candy
• Processed meat with lots of salt and fat
• Eggs and cheese, both satisfying and fattyfying.

I lost 35 pounds but stalled below that level. I knew from daily weighs that a raw spinach day meant losing a pound a day, but I also backslid, a typical reaction to losing weight and celebrating the wrong way.

Fuhrman's positive response is to fill up on spinach and similar greens, which are super-beneficial and almost calorie free. I bought spinach boxes at Walmart and forgot to use them daily.

So I have switched to morning spinach (no blobs of dressing on top) and a huge apple for dessert. My childhood loathing of salad dressing returned and rewarded me with a simpler spinach response.

My first trial was this - I was very hungry and wanted a binge reward. I had none at home, due to poor planning. "Maybe I can get stuffed on fresh, raw spinach," I told myself. 

I got the largest bowl out and packed it with very fresh spinach. As I ate, I felt a mild euphoria and no hint of stuffiness. The spinach almost immediately extinguished my hunger, without my feeling stuffed and guilty (as in PBJs). 

Today I began with black coffee and waited to feel a bit hungry. Beans and veggies could have been rustled up fast, but that removes the spinach effect.

I got out a huge serving dish and filled it with fresh spinach, about 1/3 the box. I put a large apple on top for dessert. Both were delicious and fun to eat. The famine switch is reversed and my energy is very good.

Spinach 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

"Nutrition facts

The nutrition facts for 3.5 ounces (100 grams) of raw spinach are (1Trusted Source):

• Calories: 23
• Water: 91%
• Protein: 2.9 grams
• Carbs: 3.6 grams
• Sugar: 0.4 grams
• Fiber: 2.2 grams
• Fat: 0.4 grams

Carbs

Most of the carbs in spinach consist of fiber, which is incredibly healthy.

Spinach also contains small amounts of sugar, mostly in the form of glucose and fructose (1Trusted Source).

Fiber

Spinach is high in insoluble fiber, which may boost your health in several ways (2Trusted Source).

It adds bulk to stool as food passes through your digestive system. This may help prevent constipation.

Vitamins and minerals

Spinach is an excellent source of many vitamins and minerals, including (3):

• Vitamin A. Spinach is high in carotenoids, which your body can turn into vitamin A.
• Vitamin C. This vitamin is a powerful antioxidant that promotes skin health and immune function.
• Vitamin K1. This vitamin is essential for blood clotting. Notably, one spinach leaf contains over half of your daily needs.
• Folic acid. Also known as folate or vitamin B9, this compound is vital for pregnant women and essential for normal cellular function and tissue growth.
• Iron. Spinach is an excellent source of this essential mineral. Iron helps create hemoglobin, which brings oxygen to your body’s tissues.
• Calcium. This mineral is essential for bone health and a crucial signaling molecule for your nervous system, heart, and muscles.

• Plant compounds

  Spinach contains several important plant compounds, including (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source, 8, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source):

  • Lutein. This compound is linked to improved eye health.
  • Kaempferol. This antioxidant may decrease your risk of cancer and chronic diseases.
  • Nitrates. Spinach contains high amounts of nitrates, which may promote heart health.
  • Quercetin. This antioxidant may ward off infection and inflammation. Spinach is one of the richest dietary sources of quercetin.
  • Zeaxanthin. Like lutein, zeaxanthin can also improve eye health."
• APPLES - Popular and Satisfying